"Ron, I'm sorry, but if you wanted me to go with you to the Ball, you'd have asked me sooner!" Hermione yelled at him as she, George, and Ron made their way towards Hagrid's cabin. George rolled his eyes. It seemed like for the last three days, all Ron could do was tell Hermione how wrong she was not to be going to the Ball with him. And all Hermione could do was yell at him about how unfair he was being.

"But Hermione, you knew I was going to ask you!"

"No I didn't! I thought you had asked Lavender!"

"Well—I kind of did, but only in case you said no!" Ron stopped in his tracks and lifted his hands towards the sky. "Holy Merlin—Women!"

"GOOD LORD—Bloody MEN!" Hermione yelled back over her shoulder.

"Thanks a lot Hermione…" George said as she stalked past him.

"Sorry George," She said, slowing her pace and putting her hand on his shoulder. "But that doesn't change anything—you're still all alike." George grinned at her and she rolled her eyes and kept walking. Ron hurried and caught up with George.

"What's her problem lately?" He panted.

"Oh brother…"


"Fred?" Fred looked up from behind the book he was reading. Hermione stood in front of him; her cheeks and nose red from the cold, her book bag hanging loosely off her shoulder, and her hat still pulled tightly over her head. She looked as if she was about to cry.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" He said, putting his book down and scooting over on the couch. He'd come to the library to get away from all the hustle and bustle of Hogwarts before the dance. He'd tried to sit upstairs, but Ginny and Harry decided that with everyone out visiting Hagrid, and Katie taking a nap, it would be the best time to have a full-on snogging session on the couch in the common room. He'd left pretty quickly after that; he had no desire to see his sister make out with some guy. So, he'd found himself in the library, and that's where he'd been for the last hour, reading a book called 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil', a Muggle book Hermione had let him borrow. It was a very odd story—taking place in Georgia, but he liked it anyway. He was about halfway through when Hermione interrupted him. She sat down on the couch beside him.

"R-Ron is driving me crazy! He won't leave me alone and he—he—oh Fred!" She lost it as the tears that had been welling up in her eyes spilled over. She dropped her bag to the floor next to her feet as Fred leaned over and put his arms around her. As she cried, he pulled her towards him gently and she burrowed her head in his chest. "I-I'm sorry, I don't—I don't know whats the matter with me…" Hermione sobbed.

"It's alright. I know Ron's being an ass…he's just disappointed is all. I'd be disappointed if I'd lost a beautiful girl like you too." Fred soothed. Hermione finished her crying and sniffled a little, but didn't move from Fred's arms. She leaned her head on his chest and sniffled again.

"I know, but he's so—ugh—I was really excited about going with you…but now…if it's going to hurt Ron…"

"Hermione, look at me." Hermione pulled away slightly so she could look up at his face. She noticed with satisfaction that he didn't move his arms from around her though. "Do you love Ron? As more than a friend? Be honest." He watched as she thought awhile, then shook her head.

"No." She sighed. "At one point I thought I did, but I don't…I really don't." She seemed kind of surprised. She gave him a weak smile.

"That's good to hear." He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. She blushed and smiled back at him.

"That was nice." She whispered.

"I'm glad…" He leaned towards her again and kissed her. Hermione slipped her arms from his chest up to neck as he showed her how he felt about her.

"MISS GRANGER! MR. WEASLEY!" The librarian yelled from her desk, "THIS IS A LIBRARY!" Breaking apart, they both turned red and grabbed their things, dashing by her desk laughing.

"Sorry…" They called over their shoulders. Once they passed through the doors and stood in the corridor trying to catch their breath, Fred pulled Hermione's book bag off her shoulder and dropped it on the floor by her feet.

"Now, where were we?" He whispered, taking her head in his hands and tilting it back. She smiled up at him again.

"Wherever we were, I was enjoying it…" She muttered back. He laughed deep in his throat and Hermione found out that kissing Fred Weasley was the greatest thing that had ever happened to her. Also, kissing Fred Weasley was much better than arguing with his brother. She pulled back after a moment and looked up at him.

"Did—Did you call me beautiful?"


For the next few weeks, Hermione and Fred were forced to hide the way they felt about each other when they were around Hermione's friends. Both told themselves it was more fun seeing each other in secret; but deep down they both knew differently. Ron was always hovering between them. Hermione often snuck out of her room and met Fred in the kitchen, where the house elves had started keeping extra hot chocolate on the stove, knowing that most nights Hermione and Fred would be there until late in the night. Fred counted down the days until they'd go to the ball and unveil their secret. Hermione liked Fred, but she was scared of Ron's reaction. And she was also scared that deep down in both of them, they were falling in love. One night, they sat in the common room after everyone else had gone to bed. Hermione was leaning against Fred's chest and he was telling her about a joke that he and George had thought up that day for the shop. He could tell her mind was wandering, so he nudged her and asked quietly, "You alright?"

"I have a problem." She said, turning around and putting her hands on his forearms.

"Oh…what kind of problem do you have?" Fred stammered, afraid of the answer.

"I've fallen and I'm afraid I've hurt myself."

"What happened?" Fred asked, expecting Hermione to tell him about a cut or a bruise or a sprain. Instead, she leaned closer to him and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"I'm falling in love with you, and I'm afraid I'm going to hurt all of my friends. I feel so horrible, but I feel so good. You make me feel so—" He kissed her, but didn't say anything for a long time.

"I love you too Hermione." Hermione smiled at him and brushed a piece of dark red hair away from his freckled face. She kissed him one last time before she went upstairs to bed.